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Blaze Riorden

Blaze Riorden: Professional lacrosse’s greatest playoff performer

By Hayden Lewis | Sep 4, 2024

When the calendar turns from August to September, there are a few constants in the world: football kicking off, school starting and Blaze Riorden taking over the Cash App Playoffs. 

On Monday, Riorden continued that trend with an epic quarterfinal performance. The four-time Oren Lyons Goaltender of the Year put together a 15-save outing (78.9%) against the Boston Cannons, stymying any offense they created to lead Carolina to an 8-4 victory. 

Riorden’s excellence wasn’t a surprise.

Goaltender playoff stats date back to 2004, so this list isn’t small.

The fact that Riorden can elevate his game – which is already the best in the world at the position – to new heights in the playoffs is astounding. Lacrosse is a sport where a hot goalie can win a team game, just like hockey.

A high total of saves means a large number of shots faced, which could lead to a poor save percentage for a goalie if they ever got shelled in a playoff game. Not for Riorden, though. 

Sure, Monday’s 78.9% performance helped this number a little, but Riorden’s consistency in the playoffs throughout his career makes him special. 

For the hockey fans out there, imagine Jean-Sebastian Giguere’s performance from the 2003 playoffs. That’s been Riorden each time he reaches the postseason. He performs at his highest level in the biggest moments. 

For the Cannons fans who are also Boston Bruins fans, think about Tim Thomas’s performance in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. A 96.7% save percentage against one of the league’s offensive juggernauts in the Vancouver Canucks. The Bruins had no business winning that series, but Thomas’s play guided them to glory. 

Here’s what makes Riorden the biggest X-factor in this year’s Cash App Playoffs:

No player or goalie in the world takes over on the big stage like Riorden does. He is one-of-one, irreplaceable for the Chaos and inevitable for opposing teams. 

When the Chaos won their first PLL title in 2021, Riorden was 63% between the pipes and made 45 saves in three games. And the crazy reality behind these stats is that they aren’t Riorden’s best numbers in the playoffs. 

In 2022, Riorden was 68% with 45 saves again, but the Chaos fell short to the Waterdogs in the Cash App Championship Game. 

Quantifying Riorden’s excellence is simple, but contextualizing his performances is the more important piece. 

Riorden doesn’t show up to the playoffs and magically play better. He’s the best in the world at his position and slowly builds on each game he plays throughout the season. Against the Cannons this week, the Boom Squad took 41 shots, but only 21 were on target. 

Boston put a little over half of its shots on target because you have to be ultra-precise to beat the four-time first-team All-Pro goalie. In the regular season, Boston had the fourth-best shooting percentage in the league (26.3%), rarely struggling to create looks.

Riorden and Carolina’s defense were able to cause all of these struggles for Boston without three-time first-team All-Pro defender Jack Rowlett, who was suspended for the quarterfinals.

Earlier this season, Chaos head coach and general manager Andy Towers described Riorden as an “alien,” and it's a perfect description. In sci-fi movies, a common theme is man versus alien. In the PLL, when September comes and the Chaos are around, the theme is offense versus Riorden. 

The Chaos can play average offense and excellent on defense and carve their way through the Cash App Playoffs because they have the ultimate brick wall in Riorden. 

Carolina is set to face the Utah Archers in the semifinals this Saturday night on Long Island. The teams have faced off three prior times in the Cash App Playoffs, and the Chaos won all three.

Earlier this season, the Chaos put together their best offensive performance of 2024 against Utah — a 15-score outing that included a Riorden goalie goal. Couple that prior success with the way the defense is churning, and this could be an exciting weekend for Carolina fans. 

If history continues to repeat itself, expect to see more astounding playoff performances from Riorden as he and the Chaos look to claw their way to a second title in franchise history.

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